Is There Such a Thing as The Spirit of Suicide?

If we are IN Christ is there a way that demonic activity can still be “brought into” our lives? Or is it just sin, not necessarily demonic activity? I see a lot of things with this lingo and it never sits right with me but I’m curious about your thoughts. Also naming all the spirits “spirit of suicide, addiction, etc.” Isn’t it all just either from the devil or from God? Not all these different spirits?

Answer

Typically, we blame sin and addictions on these spirits that harass or possess us. But we need to first talk about suicide. Suicide is a sin. To take your own life is a sin. It’s not yours to take; You’re bought with a price.

Christ made you; you’re His. That said, there are times when the pain and the difficulty seem immeasurable, or it appears as if there is no solution other than taking your own life. Even men like Jonah and Elijah wanted to die at a point. People will be hurt to the point where they feel that life is not worth living. But, Scripture doesn’t permit us to take our own life.

All sin can fit under one of these categories: lust of the flesh, lust of the eye, or the boastful pride of life. We don’t need to blame it on a demon. Demons can harass or bother us, but there’s quite a bit of false information about exorcism, possession, and addiction. Instead, we need to start by taking personal responsibility for our sins. 

We can certainly ‘open ourselves up to temptations and falling into deeper sin,’ but we can’t blame it on satan. It is a personal choice to sin and live a certain way. Scripture does not allow us to use satan as the catchall for our sin. There’s been plenty of talk about the ‘spirit of suicide or the spirit of depression,’ but we must put this in context. We have our human spirit and the Holy Spirit; they are not the same, nor are they regarded as the same in Scripture. 

Resisting The Enemy

James 4:7 says, “Resist the devil, and he will flee.” Always rest on what Scripture says, not what sounds cool or trendy. This is where a lot of contemporary Christian music goes wrong. They focus more on our feelings than the character of Christ. Scripture says to walk close to Christ. The closer we walk to Him, the more aligned we become. 

You’re safer in the Word. You’re safer following Christ in His Word and trusting Him. After all, He has the final victory over satan. We can’t do it by ourselves. The only way we can do anything is if the Spirit of Christ controls us. The point of armoring up (as mentioned in Ephesians 6) is to stand firm against the devil. The battle is between the spirits. 

And you’ll find that the text doesn’t say anything about it. Even Michael, the Archangel, was prevented from speaking a railing judgment to satan. The hierarchy of angels likely consisted of Lucifer as number one, with Gabriel and Michael close after. The name Michael means ‘who is like God?’ Not even Michael, the Archangel, was like God. There is only One Who deals with satan: Christ. 

Links Mentioned:

Angels Elect and Evil by C. Fred Dickason

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

Find more episodes of Ask Dr. E here.

Call or text us your question at 615-281-9694 or email at question@michaelincontext.com.